


Safe and Sound

by MizuLeKitten



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Caretaker Hunk (Voltron), Caretaker Lance (Voltron), Coughing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Implied Fainting, Keith Tries, M/M, Multi, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sick Shiro (Voltron), Sickfic, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 18:05:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13218069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizuLeKitten/pseuds/MizuLeKitten
Summary: Shiro gets horribly sick, but with three amazing boyfriends to take care of him, he's in good hands.





	Safe and Sound

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BossToaster (ChaoticReactions)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticReactions/gifts).



> Ficlet for the Shaladin SS

The first thing Shiro was aware of was that he was resting on something much softer than he expected. An odd first thought considering he should've been wondering how he got from standing in the shower to laying down, or thinking about what his first expectation really was if a soft bed was a surprise, but it was his first thought nonetheless. The second thought was that his head was pounding. He tried to think beyond his first two thoughts, but the sound of drums only seemed to grow louder the more he tried.

Something breached the incessant pounding. A higher pitched sound. It fluctuated growing louder then softer before stopping all together. It made Shiro’s head hurt even more, but he’d take it over the drumming any day. A gruff sound followed after a moment, prompting the higher pitch to reammerge in tandem as they tried to over power one another.

Shiro groaned. He only knew that the noise came from himself because the vibration of his vocal cords seemed to travel up to his skull, adding to the noise. The other noises stopped at that, letting the drumming take over his hearing once more.

A cool sensation covered his forehead. The drumming was still inistant, but it was as if the noise was farther away, dampened. Shiro didn’t think about it, thinking about it would bring the pounding back, thinking about it may lead to darker, more grim outcomes. Instead he let his body relax back into the softness, silence finally settling in as consciousness slipped away.

~*~

The next time Shiro came to was to the sensation of his stomach trying to exit through is mouth. He threw himself to the side, leaning over whatever he was laying on. It had to be a bed; he didn’t remember earning that privilege. He gagged, thoughts halting as he felt the acid burn the back of his throat.

The pounding had receded to the back of his mind, and this time he could make out the soft sounds of someone beside him. He tried to crack his eyes open, but his body fought the movement as if they were crusted over. He coughed, ending in a gag that had his chest burning anew. A large hand settled on his back; Shiro tensed. He was in no condition to fight, but all the hand did was rub in soothing circles.

Finally, after what felt like ages of blood rushing to his head, acid burning his throat, something came up. Shiro panted heavily. He knew that drool was more than likely falling from his mouth, drool and vomit, but he couldn't stand the foul taste that had invaded his senses. His lack of sight seemed to only force Shiro to focus on the taste, amplifying it tenfold.

Someone made a cooing noise near him, to his left. Shiro's veins seemed to freeze as his mind skyrocketed. Someone was touching him, and he was sick. Sickness meant death, he had nearly died before- But the druids never rubbed his back, the other cellmates never sat by his side. Shiro took a deep breath, willing away the panic the best he could.

He wasn't with the druids. He forced through the haze of his mind, the pounding of the drums, and remembered. He wasn’t with the druids because he had escaped; Ulaz had freed him. He had crash landed on Earth where he was reunited with Keith and met the others. They found the Blue Lion. They formed Voltron. Shiro was safe.

The large hand continued to rub soothing circles, and Shiro let himself flop down over the edge of the bed. Shiro was safe because  _ Hunk _ was with him, not the druids or a cellmate.

With that revelation in place, Shiro tried to speak, but only a croak came out.

"Here," a voice said, and any doubt of if it was truly Hunk vanished as he voice confirmed it. "You need to drink some water. It has a straw so if you open your mouth - just like that, and there we go."

The straw was familiar, normal. It was the straw attached to the water pouches they drank after every training exercise. It was another reminder. Shiro was safe.

Shiro took several slow sips. The water tasted rancid at first, the taste of puke still evident in Shiro's mouth. Before long the water had cleared most of the taste away; Shiro couldn't be more grateful.

"Try and get some more rest," Hunk said.

With his help, Shiro moved back so that his body wasn't hanging half off the bed. Hunk stopped him from rolling onto his back, and Shiro was reminded of some of his basic medical training. He would have been upset at himself for forgetting such a basic premise, but the sweet call of sleep began to pull at his mind. The last thing Shiro felt was lips pressed against his forehead.

~*~

When Shiro awoke the third time he felt much more in control. His eyes still fought to open, but he easily brought his hand up to rub at them. He blearily blinked his left eye opening, noticing the crust on his fingers and frowning. That had to be anything  _ but _ sanitary.

"Oh! You're awake; that's great!" Shiro looked up at the sound, seeing Lance standing over by his desk - at least Shiro assumed it was his desk. He wasn't entirely positive if they were in his room or not at this point, and honestly he didn't care that much.

"How ya feelin'?" Lance lifted up a small towel, wringing it out over a bowl.

"Go-" Shiro coughed, the scratchiness of his throat hurting. He lowered his voice to a whisper, "Good." It still sounded hoarse, still hurt a bit, but the words were clear enough to be understood if Lance's doubtful look was anything to go by.

"Good? You classify this as good?" Lance gestured at the bed and Shiro before he started to walk over. "We gotta get you out more, man; I think staying cooped up in the castle is messing with your perception of what's good." Lance finished the statement by plopping down into a chair next to the bed, up by Shiro's head.

Shiro chuckled, or tried to. It came out more as a coughing fit than anything else. "Sounds like a date."

Lance's face grew red, rivaling that of Shiro's own fever flushed face. At first it had surprised Shiro how easily flustered Lance truly was, but by now surprise had given way to pure affection. "We inviting Hunk and Keith, or are we going solo?"

Shiro settled back, only then realizing that his head was propped up by several pillows. "Well, that's up to you. Feel like sharing the experience of what's "good" with them?"

Despite everything being said in a whisper, losing a great deal of the teasing tone that Shiro wished to convey, Lance paused to think. "Well, it's not like Keith has good standards either, and if we're inviting him  _ not _ bringing Hunk would be a crime. Plus, who else is going to say "I told you so" when we all get in trouble?"

Shiro shook his head with a smile, forcing his laughter and cough down as best as he could. He knew he didn't succeed when Lance shot him a worried look.

"We'll talk that all out when you're  _ actually _ good, and not just disillusioned. Dealio?"

Shiro only nodded, letting his eyes fall closed.

"Good. Now I have a sponge bath to get to, and I have to warn you, I am very thorough."

Shiro smiled, safe in Lance’s hands despite the innuendo. Under the soft ministrations of Lance’s hand he found his mind falling away, back into slumber.

~*~

Every other time Shiro remembered waking up it had been because of himself. This time it was because something was very insistently squirming its way under his bedding.

"Are you trying to take advantage of a sick man?" Shiro mumbled, throwing his arm around the other person and pulling them closer.

"Shiro!" The person sounded surprised, and Shiro could only smile. Of course it’d be Keith who caved and sought cuddles first in spite of Shiro’s sickness.

"Mmhm, or were you trying to cuddle with some other guy?" Shiro didn't have to open his eyes to know that Keith was scowling at him. "I'm kidding, just trying to lighten the mood."

"I can go cuddle with Hunk or Lance, ya know..." Keith grumbled despite moving closer to Shiro so that his back was pressed against Shiro's chest.

Shiro hummed again, willing to let Keith win the battle in exchange for the long overdue cuddles. It wasn’t that Hunk’s reassuring back rubs, or Lance’s sponge bath weren’t physically fulfilling, but something about cuddles were a bit different. Shiro had missed them, even if he had only been partly lucid during this whole ordeal.

The silence did not last long before the door was opening to allow Lance and Hunk in.

"Told you this was where he is," Lance said with his hands on his hips.

Keith pulled the blanket higher over himself, a mumbled "Bite me," coming from under them.

"I was hoping we could all cuddle, but fine-"

"Guys, please," Hunk sighed. "Shiro still needs his rest."

Shiro chuckled, doing so without the threat of a cough for the first time in what felt like days. "Thank you, Hunk. Ever the voice of reason."

"One of us has to be. Between you working too hard, Keith throwing himself at everything, and Lance's flirting getting us all into situations, I figure I might as well the responsible one."

"That's harsh, man," Lance looked at Hunk sheepishly. "Call us all out, why don't ya?"

Hunk shrugged, "It's the truth."

"Yeah, well, I didn't come here for the truth," Lance declared, tone filling with determination as he turned back towards Shiro and a hiding Keith. He pointed towards where Keith was, an exaggerated frown on his features, "I came here to catch a cuddle thief."

Keith shuffled, pulling the blanket down so that only his eyes could be seen. It did little to hide the amusement sparkling in his eyes, or the mirth drenching his voice, "Are you that insulted that I left the blanket fort for Shiro?"

"Aw, you left a blanket fort for me?" Shiro cooed, squeezing Keith around the middle in lieu of a hug.

"It's been awhile, so..." Keith trailed off. If his face wasn't hidden, there would've been a heated flush to his cheeks. "I figured you'd miss cuddling with us..."

"Keith's a sap, we know this,” Lance threw his hands up as he marched over. “Scooch over, let me and Hunk in. No one's being left out. Scooch, scooch!"

Shiro laughed as Lance practically forced his way into the bed, wedging himself between Shiro and Keith. Lance allowed both Keith and the blanket curled around him to fall from the bed with an oof. Lance stuck his tongue out in reply, before cozying on up against Shiro.

Hunk clambered over Shiro's legs so that he was against the wall. He pat his stomach twice before calling out to Keith. "Come on, you can sleep on me." Keith frowned, and if a stray knee wedged itself into Lance's side as he climbed over, everyone knew why.

Shiro yawned, the fatigue of illness washing over him once more.

Lance yawned shortly after, “Night, Shiro.”

"I love you guys," Shiro murmured as he pulled Lance closer to his chest. He could feel Keith nuzzle against the back of his neck, and Hunk’s hand fell naturally on his hip. Shiro fell asleep like that. He knew where he was. He was safe.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope this was worth the wait xD Probably not the best but hopefully it earns a smile.


End file.
